Cash crop cotton loses lustre for Ganjam farmers

Lack of marketing facilities have forced farmers like Antarjan Mallick in Ganjam district to shift from cotton cultivation (Photo Gurvinder Singh)

Lack of transportation and marketing facilities and exploitation by private money lenders have forced cotton growers to cultivate other crops despite cotton’s potential for good returns

Through multi-tier farming women minimize risks, maximize profits

Multi-tier farming has helped women farmers such as Tara Dhaker to earn more from the same piece of land (Photo by Jawan Singh)

Growing a minimum of three crops per season, women farmers overcome climate risks. Staggered harvest from multiple crops help then earn through the year and overcome market risks

Dairy cooperative leads to empowerment of women

Formation of SHGS has empowered women and culminated in a women-led dairy cooperative (Photo courtesy HGVS)

Women who were confined to their homes became dairy farmers as SHG members, subsequently forming a self-reliant cooperative. It has resulted in empowering them socially and financially

Odisha fares poorly in women’s safety, despite government efforts

Programs such as UN's 16 Days Campaign create more awareness about gender-based violence (Photo courtesy Atmashakti Trust)

Statistics reveal rampant gender-based violence and inequality in Odisha. A concerted multi-stakeholder effort is needed to bring about change, as government initiatives are slow in bearing results

Women-run platform ensures gender justice to rural women

Women-run Nari Adalat counsels and resolves conflicts in families and communities, to ensure gender justice (Photo by Mehmood Hasan)

A socio-legal forum led by rural women resolves gender-based conflicts and injustice within families and communities, and helps women in villages lead a dignified life

Social entrepreneur improves rural livelihood opportunities

Gitaram Kadam uses solar and wind power to ensure regular electricity supply to his agricultural farm (Photo courtesy Gramin Tantragyan Sanstha)

Quitting a lucrative job and taking up farming, engineer runs a farm-based enterprise, enabling women farmers to become rural entrepreneurs

Tribes hope to revive degenerated agriculture through development plan

With the agricultural tools and other livelihood supports received through Tribal Sub-Plan, the Irulas hope to revive sustainable agriculture (Photo courtesy Sugarcane Breeding Institute)

Development eluded two remote Irula tribal villages in Western Ghats. Through Tribal Sub-Plan being implemented, they hope to revive agriculture that once kept them self-sufficient

Kadar tribes face repeated displacement for hydel power projects

After repeated evictions, forest-dwelling Kadar tribes in Peringalkuthu protest against a project that would displace them again (Photo courtesy Chalakudy River Protection Forum)

For more than a century, Kerala’s forest-dwelling tribes have been repeatedly evicted for power projects. Faced with another displacement, the tribes refuse to give up their rights

Women weavers start successful eateries after job loss

Karungalpalayam developed into an idli hub, after Eswari Thangavel’s mother started supplying idlis to hospitals (Photo by Kevin Samuel)

As shops and businesses opened for the day in Erode, a few kilometers away, women running eateries were about to wind up their breakfast fare. While some women were still packing idlis for take-away orders, a few served idlis in banana leaves, to men who sauntered in. The women aver that the place would be… Continue reading Women weavers start successful eateries after job loss

Farmers of Palghar protest against farm laws

Farmers participated in a road blockade at Khandeshwari Naka in Wada taluk, protesting again the farm laws (Photo by Shraddha Agarwal)

In solidarity with protesting farmers in Delhi, men and women farmers of Maharashtra staged road blockades, demanding withdrawal of farm laws, and placed a charter of demands

Restoration of ponds leads to revival of agriculture

Restoration of ponds has increased water retention, helping farmers like Bikramjit Sardar grow more crops (Photo by Gurvinder Singh)

Despite good rainfall, lack of water retention led to farmers’ migration. Deepening of ponds to store rainwater has stopped migration and helped farmers grow crops across seasons

Students help revive traditional metal craft

Thateras, traditional metal craftsmen, have been able to revive the craft by adapting designs that suit contemporary tastes (Photo courtesy P-TAL)

Students with a passion for social entrepreneurship have helped traditional metal craftsmen to adapt to changing times with new designs, and explore new markets within the country and beyond

Women farmers leverage collective power to form producer company

Forming a producer company has been possible for women farmers, seen here rejoicing after the formation of the company, by coming together (Photo by Nikita Saikia)

Despite carrying out many farming activities, women lacked recognition. Coming together as a self-help group, they have found confidence to progress and use collective bargaining power to their advantage

Villagers conserve sacred groves as cultural and religious symbols

Sacred groves, an integral part of tribal culture, are being conserved to also serve as nutrition gardens (Photo courtesy Unexplored Bastar)

Sacred groves, an integral part of tribal life have been declining. Villagers are restoring the groves to ensure preservation of their culture and to address malnutrition

Women continue to roll beedis despite low wages, health risks

Women like Jebamani, who quit beedi rolling for health reasons, take up MGNREGS and agriculture labor work (Photo courtesy AFDC)

Due to lack of education and alternate sustainable employment avenues, millions of workers, especially women, endure beedi rolling. Familiarity and fear prevent them from switching jobs

Dairy cooperative creates a closed-loop replicable system

The success of Mujkuva cooperative has helped farmers such as Hemaben make a sustainable living out of dairying (Photo by Shweta Krishnan)

The lockdown made many dairy cooperatives lose business. However, a village cooperative in Anand has created a sustainable financial and ecological model, building synergy among farmers

Farmers still under cloud of Cyclone Gaja and storm surge

Brinjal plants that brought daily income to farmer Ayyappan Rengaiyan were scorched when Cyclone Gaja caused a storm surge in 2018 (Photo by Kevin Samuel)

Coastal farmers suffered a double whammy when Cyclone Gaja brought a storm surge in its wake. Two years later, they are yet to recover, but remain hopeful

Crop diversification helps farmers double income

By switching to high value crops, tribal women farmers have doubled their annual income (Photo courtesy CInI)

Tribal farmers, who were cultivating a single traditional crop, have doubled their income, by switching to high value crops and also by diversifying their crop basket

Camel milk inspires hope for herders

With an increase in demand for camel milk, local economy and the livelihood of camel herders are improving (Photo courtesy Sahjeevan)

With an increase in awareness of various health benefits of camel milk, its sale has increased, boosting rural economy and livelihood of traditional camel herders